Cards
by ArtemisBAMF1218
Summary: Moments and conversations of when Sara and Leonard play cards.


**So obviously set in S1. CaptainCanary. Enjoy.**

Cards had kinda become a hobby between them, the ice breaker so to say. She had found out the most about him when they played cards and she revealed more about her life than she had thought she would to the coldhearted criminal.

Something about the soft, rhythmic shuffle of the pieces of paper, the silence that enveloped them, isolating them from each other yet in barrier together against the rest of the world. It was relaxing, no need for the constant babbling that Ray provided or the awkward comments. They could just think and observe. No pressure to make conversation. She hadn't expected to but it all started during gin rummy.

Se had been surveying her cards, picking which one to show her hand when she noticed a scar on the inside of Leonard's wrist.

She didn't mean to stare but Leonard noticed anyway. He was always so observant that way. Taking in his surroundings and calculating it to his advantage.

"Just a beer bottle" He said off-handedly like he was describing one of his prison beaks. "I was 5."

he said it very breezily and non chant but Sara could see by the way his forehead flattened just a bit that the scar bothered him.

She was aware of his past and his father and didn't bother prying anymore information out of it. It would ruin the mood besides his queen was going to get destroyed by her Aces.

—-

The second time, she was the one who spoke about her time on the League of Shadows. It had been after returning from the fifties and she was sleepless. The years with Ra reminded her of when she first joined and the bloodlust and she just plagued her thoughts on her ability to be a hero. At least a reliable one.

Leonard had entered the kitchen at five in the morning, saw her staring at the table and brought out a deck of cards for poker.

They settled to the usual shuffling and calling out moves, and soon Sara started to pour out her feelings.

"It's just juts that everyone is so good! It annoys the shit out of me so much. I feel like I'm constantly struggling to live up to those standards. Even Arrow, he killed who knows how many people on the island, but at least he tries to fight the darkness. I...I gave up too easily, I just fell back to the League because it felt good. I always was bad and kinda selfish, you should hear the things I did when I was a teenager." Sara ranted

"Look who's talking" Leonard scoffed "I'm only here to steal the world's most famous jewels from across the timeline."

Sara snorted quietly under her breath. That hardly mattered, he was the criminal, he didn't know how hard it was to compare with a "pure and sweet and utterly adorkable" friends and older sister.

"But seriously, Sara. You're strong woman, I've seen it in the way you fight and in your actions. It's hard dealing with all the good people but us "bad guys" we're stronger than them. We know pain and we moved past it."

Sara almost dropped her cards. Where was the speech coming from, it sounded like poetry or some inspirational message for the AA group.

Sara managed to shut her mouth and give a small thanks.

They had played once more when Pilgrim came and they had to say goodbye to their family members and give them the amnesia pill. They had just dropped off Jax's dad back to his station, when Leonard pulled out his cards teasingly.

"Let's go to the control room" Sara said and they did

"So how did your dad go?" Leonard asked, setting up the flush game.

"Okay, it took him awhile to get used to the fact they we were from the future, and that alians did not take over the Earth. But I managed. How about you?"

"Good. Yeah, Lisa and I talked. Nothing big. She wouldn't let go of baby me, I think she wanted to take me home with her."

"Baby you was cute" Sara grinned

"Do you miss him? Your dad I mean."

Sara regarded that question thoughtfully, "Yeah I do. I've spent years without them and stuff but I do sometimes wish they would magically appear and give me advice sometimes" Sara shrugged. She had wished that twice already, she wanted to talk to Laurel so badly after Leonard said "My feelings for you" comment. It had caught her off-guarded and yes, she was pleased. But it was Leonard maybe he was just teasing and wanted to get a reaction out of her. Then again, that moment when they were huddled the warehouse, approaching possible death. Then too she wanted to contact Laurel and talk.

"Sometimes I think about how she's doing without me. I was relieved to hear she hadn't gotten herself into jail yet but she isn't staying home and knitting either. I think she's screwing that engineer kid. The one that's friends with Flash" Leonard scowled as he thought over all the things she could possibly be doing without his supervision.

Sara gave a small smile. It was sweet how much he cared for his sister, she wished she had more of that relationship with Laurel. Sure it was better now, but they could have been a little more lenient with each other's faults.

"There could be worse things" Sara merely replied, and frowned as she saw her cards get flushed.

It all came to head after Leonard's return.

It had been a busy few weeks, gathering the information, helping hi cope with dying but despite the pain at looking at him struggling to get back to what he was, she was still incredible relieved he was back.

They hadn't talked about what the kiss meant, but they both knew it was something more. She gave it willingly and without pity for his death but rather for doing his part for the mission.

"So Lance, wanna go get freaky in the 80s next. The retro 80s bars in Havana are quite killer if you're looking for a fight. I'm tired of the whole nurse routine their giving me out there" Leonard drawled, gesturing outside Sara's room

"Sure" Sara moved toward him, eye to eye and kissed him.

Leonard gave his signature smirk, and Sara smiled back.

"So did you see what I left for you?" he asked

"Left what?"

"Well since Rip kept saying that this might our last mission, people could die, etc etc. I left something in your sword case"

Sara's eyes widened and she rushed to open her sword case hidden in the back of her closet.

There was a pack of cards. His pack of cards.

"Very thoughtful. How about we play some now, then get freaky." Sara suggested, inside a warm feeling spread through her heart.

"Sure" He sat down beside her, and kissed her softy on the head.

years later, the two were lying on a casino table.

The club had been cleared out after Sara appeared with her knives and he with his cold gun. They locked the doors shut and had the whole place to themselves.

They went to the same bar as they had went in the seventies as a memorial for their fifth year anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend.

They had been playing cards, but after Leonard accused her of cheating, and Sara challenged him to find her hidden cards, one thing led to another and well.. the casino was surprisingly comfortable for a sensual wrestling match.

"Found it" Leonard grinned as his hands unzipped the back of her dress, pulling out eight cards of aces.

"Well if I'm cheating than you've got to be bluffing" Sara put an exaggerated whine as she slipped her hands under his parka.

"What bluff?"

"The one where you said you'd give me the best game of my life" Sara licked the bottom of his lips

He stopped her words with a kiss and pushed the cards off the table.


End file.
